Diamonds are a girl's best friend

Especially to this girl!!!!

Woohoo Sarah got engaged!!! Finally!! Granted, she has already been planning the wedding but now it's official! Also, I've been given the most flattering and amazing job of matron of honor. I've been given that honor only once before and it was for Lauren's wedding.

I've talked about these two girls before but I feel like I should do it again. It took me awhile to realize and understand the meaning quality vs. quantity. I think, no, I know I had no confidence in high school. I desperately wanted and needed to be liked. I was not the popular girl but I wasn't a social outcast but some of the friends I kept would just bring me down. I came to Millsaps and was abused a little by my freshman roommate but I also did the most amazing thing I could have done for myself. I became a Chi Omega. Don't get me wrong-I'm not obsessed with my sorority or will care if Madison goes to another one but I finally met some girls that liked me for me and accepted me. I truly found myself and I owe it to mostly Lauren. There were others like Claire, Anna Kathryn, Liz, Katie and Caroline but Lauren and I were meant to meet each other. I became very confident and happy with who I was as a person. I'm loud, hyper, talkative and I say a lot of offhand comments but I now feel like you either like me or don't and if you don't, you can suck it! 😜

I graduated with my masters, got married and was whisked away to Memphis,TN. I entered unknown territory and I could feel my insecurities creeping back in. I was super lucky to receive an amazing advisor in Grace. However, Sarah was sitting next to me and I don't know why but it took us a bit to start talking. However, the minute we did, I saw fireworks!! We are truly the same person in different bodies. The fact that we worked together and saw each other every day for 2 years and never got annoyed is a testament to our friendship. I also think its because we can accept each other and we don't judge the other person's crazy (even though I think she's crazier than me hahaha). I the made the decision to leave public accounting and leave my sweet Sarah behind. I was truly nervous our friendship would be strained. But we both worked at keeping in touch and we don't have to talk every day but when we do talk, it's as if we saw each other the day before. She is my soul sister and I'm so happy for her and I can't wait to stand next to her on big day. She's found a good one (like trey, Michael can handle the crazy). I just can't wait to see her life blossom with the start of her family. I love you Sarah!!!

Holy Grail of Potty

Woohoo!!! Madison pee peed in the potty! She did it on 6/18/2013 @ 5:15pm. Unfortunately I was also on the potty and my phone was in the kitchen-so no actual picture of her on the potty but I do have a pic of the pee pee, which I won't share unless you really want to see it!!! Here are how the events unfolded.

I tried to get Madison to potty in the morning. She came up to me and said she had to potty. So I stripped her down and we proceeded to sit on the potty...nothing. Tells me she's done. So we walk into the living room and she tells me again she needs to go...so back we go. Once again, nothing. We go back to the living room and I try to out a diaper back on her and she just keeps running away. She runs to her play kitchen and proceeds to pee. I was hoping her reaction would be one of utter disgust but instead she started laughing=no bueno! So off to school we go...defeated.

I pick her up and we get home and I tell her Mommy needs to potty, do you want to potty? She says yes. She sits in hers and I sit in mine. She usually likes to hold toilet paper to tear apart but this time I told her I'd give her some when I was done with the potty. I proceed to pee and tell her to listen to what I'm doing. She giggles and then makes a face and tells ME to listen and what do I hear? The most amazing sound in the WORLD! I hear her tinkle! I went nuts!!! She got lots of chocolate, we danced and skipped around the house! And that was the last time she peed in the toilet. Ugh-potty training is frustrating-here's to hoping for another breakthrough...

Enjoy my photo dump!

NashVegas

Last weekend trey and I decided to do a getaway weekend. We decided on Nashville. It's something that we talked about for a long time but just never acted on it.  Well, Father's Day came and I didn't know what to get him so I decided to plan the trip for the weekend afterwards. However, I was super confused by the layout and where to stay and I wanted to stay downtown so we could walk around and everything was super expensive. I ended up telling him my idea and I'm glad I did. He ended up going on Priceline and we got the Sheraton downtown for $125 a night!!

We decided to head down Friday night after work-left around 4.

Those are some excited parents leaving their 2 yr old child behind!

We arrived to our hotel around 6:30. Our room was pretty nice and we got a king bed which was awesome!! Here was our view:

We headed to this restaurant that Trey's boss recommended called Burger Up. It was sooo yummy!! Everyone should try it. We got fried pickles, burgers and then the most healthy dessert I've ever had:Krispy Kreme doughnut bread pudding. A-MAY-ZING!!!!

Obviously we had no problem fitting dessert into our tummies! Afterwards, went to our hotel and then walked around downtown. I didn't realize how crazy downtown Nashville can be! Printer's Alley freaked me out a little. First thing I see is a sign that says Nude Karoke...weird. And there were 4 policeman on horses just standing and watching in the other side of the alley...weird again. Then we walked on Second Ave and it was just this crazy street. Lots of GoGo dancers dancing outside and very loud music. We finally ended up on broadway. We walked into a bar and had one beer and then retired back  to our hotel.

We slept in until 9am!!! Pure bliss! I love blackout curtains! We got up and headed to Puckett's for a late breakfast. Trey got the buffer and I got a pancakes dish-I wish I had gotten the buffer (French toast casserole-need I say more). All their drinks are in these cute mason jars:

After breakfast, we headed to Opry Mills and shopped til we dropped or at least became broke. Also, we kept saying over and over how much Madison would have had if she was here-we definitely missed our baby. After shopping we had lunch a Blue Coast Burrito. So good. Trey was definitely in heaven.  Got back to the hotel, enjoyed the ending of Shutter Island and then got ready and hit the town. We weren't hungry so we decided to just go to some bar and eat and drink there. This is around 5 or 6 and everything was packed! I wanted to sit on a patio. Anyway, we finally found one at Baileys. Pretty cool bar. We watched the hockey game outside and I had a celebrity siting or sorts.

Delicious Yazoo beers!

Owl always looking down on me-chi o for life. Haha

It proceeded to storm but our waiter was awesome and just brought our table inside so nothing got wet and once it stopped raining we just moved our table back outside and were fine because our chairs and table never got wet!

Trey and me being creepers by taking a "selfie" but really trying to take a pic of Ryan (d-bag Ryan from teen mom). He's the one in the bandana.

Finally jut got the drunk nerve to ask him for a pic. His shirt just says it all!

We drank too much and stayed up way too late-such a fun night! We had set our alarm for 7:30 for breakfast but we slept through it. We were running a little late but we got ready, packed, checked out and headed to pancake pantry for breakfast. This is what we encountered when we got there.

A long ass line. However, it moves really quickly and we got in and ate our delicious pancakes. Then we got the road to get our baby. 

Once we picked her up from Trey's parents house, we took her home and had a blast in the sink!

Like Dorothy says in the Wizard of Oz-there's no place like home.

Holy Pot Roast!!!

I guess I have the typical 2 yr old toddler...she is the pickiest person I have ever met. She's never eaten anything that I have cooked besides things that I bake (big surprise there). Trey and I have started trying to cook more so that we have an actual dinner vs ordering out or eating cereal. Yesterday I made pot roast which is pretty easy which is why I make like two times a month. Anyway, I made myself a plate and I made Madison one assuming that she wouldn't eat it ad I'd have to find something else for her to eat. I set the plate down and by George, she ate all the pot roast!! Granted, she didn't eat the rice, potatoes, or carrots but she ate the meat and cheese. Baby steps here....

Happy Tuesday!!

Sidney is here!!

3/23/13 @ 6:54am 6 lbs 2 oz, 18 3/4 inches

It's the Final Countdown...

Sooo, Lauren's due date is the 22nd. Unfortunately, Sidney seems to enjoy being cramped up in her moms belly and isn't showing any signs of appearing on the 22nd. I told her my schedule too. I'm unavailable the 28th (bc it's my adorable little monster's 2nd birthday-tears) and I'm in New Orleans Easter weekend! If Lauren doesn't go into labor naturally by the 28th, she's being induced the 29th, which means I won't be there!!!!! Ugh-Sidney, we're ab to start out on the wrong foot here. However, I can't wait to meet her and hold her and love on her. I really hope she has her mothers curls!! Come on Sidney-there's a ton of ppl waiting for you!!

Speaking of adorable babies-mine is turning 2 next week! It makes me a little weepy thinking ab it. How does time fly by so fast? She's so much fun right now too. She's becoming such a big girl. She just learned how to shut her door; however, she can't open it, so she runs to get me to open her door so she can close it again. Obviously close it from the outside-she hasn't locked herself inside yet. Last night she was doing the door thing and also playing in her room. It was too quiet, so I went to check in on her and she had thrown her monogrammed pillow off her rocking chair unto the floor and was sitting in her chair reading her elmo book...in the dark (her room didn't have the light on but the hallway did...so she could see-this is how I read her her books before bed). Sweetest moment, until she told trey and me to go away-always with the attitude! Had a good drive to school today. Had the 90s Sirius station on and Regulators was on. I usually change the station if its rap but just kept it on bc it was halfway through. I look back and she was rocking out!! It was so cute. So I, of course, rocked out with her. THEN Joyride by Roxette came out and I started singing and so did she! I noticed the guy behind me laughing probably bc he thought I was a loser facing in my car by myself-who cares!

My New Years resolution was to cooks and exercise more often. I haven't been doing too great at it but I've had a revelation last week. We have no table manners at our house. We eat on the couch, Madison puts her plate on the coffee table and picks at her food and plays at the same time. I decided I needed to remedy this and last week cooked and the whole family ate at the table. Unfortunately, that only happened for two days. Then I cooked Sunday and we ate at the table Sunday and Monday and then I cooked again last night!! I'm on a roll!! I'm also doing better on the exercising front too! I took the steroids my dr. prescribed and my leg is sooo much better! I ran 4 times last week and plan on running tonight. I even committed to some friends to try and run the St. Jude half marathon. Hopefully I can keep my promise and do it. I'd love to be able to say I've done one and hopefully this will help me get back in shape and maybe ill think ab giving Madison a sibling next year!

Madison's bday party is April 7th and everything is going pretty well with the planning. All I have left is to order the cake. I have a ton of cute Sesame Street decor and its also going to be a crawfish boil!! Only bad thing, we still haven't gotten her anything! I was thinking ab getting her a fish bc Elmo's best friend is Dorothy, his pet goldfish. I did some research and saw all the maintenance Nd decided against it. So back to the drawing board...

We had an amazing Saturday. It was such a beautiful day and so we decided to go to the zoo (I made sure we got there right when it opened bc im sure a lot of ppl had the same idea. It was so much fun! Madison loved looking at the animals. She called the lions, tigers "big cats." The timberwolves were "big dogs" and the monkeys were just monkeys. We're definitely going to buy a membership and do that again!!

Ok-hopefully my next post will be an finally getting to meet Sidney!

Madison photo dump